Dxing with Dxlab V5 2017-04
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DXing with DXLab v5 2017-04 Better DXing Through Software DXing The art and science of making two-way contacts with distant amateur radio stations using phone, CW, or digital modes DXLab: Better DXing Through Software 1. Automate “paperwork” to make more time for DXing 2. Make time spent DXing more productive . Find the DX you need . Work the DX you need “Paperwork” • Finding QSL routes • Requesting confirmation via QSL cards, LotW, eQSL.cc • Tracking confirmation requests • Updating objectives as confirmations are received • Submitting confirmations for Award Credit “Paperwork” • Finding QSL routes • Requesting confirmation via QSL cards, LotW, eQSL.cc • Tracking confirmation requests • Updating objectives as confirmations are received • Submitting confirmations for Award Credit QSL Route Discovery Pathfinder QSL Automation • Generates QSL cards or Labels seeking needed confirmations • Generates Address labels or prints envelopes • Works with full-page printers and individual label printers • Generates files for . Full-function QSL generators: BV, QSL Maker, QSL Design and Print . QSL services: Global QSL • Support for eQSL.cc and ARRL’s LotW . One-click upload . One-click download and update . Independent tracking • Automatic upload to Club Log • Download requests from Club Log (OQRS) DXing Objectives • Specifies Bands, Modes, and Band-Modes being pursued for DXCC, IOTA, Marathon, VUCC, WAS, WAZ, WPX • Drives confirmation requests, credit submissions, and DX spot analysis QSL Card Printing QSL Card Printing QSL Label Printing QSL Tracking QSL Automation • Generates QSL cards or Labels seeking needed confirmations • Generates Address labels or prints envelopes • Works with full-page printers and individual label printers • Generates files for . Full-function QSL generators: BV, QSL Maker, QSL Design and Print . QSL services: Global QSL • Support for eQSL.cc and ARRL’s LotW . One-click upload . One-click download and update . Independent tracking • Automatic upload to Club Log • Download requests from Club Log (OQRS) QSL Automation • Generates QSL cards or Labels seeking needed confirmations • Generates Address labels or prints envelopes • Works with full-page printers and individual label printers • Generates files for . Full-function QSL generators: BV, QSL Maker, QSL Design and Print . QSL services: Global QSL • Support for eQSL.cc and ARRL’s LotW . One-click upload . One-click download and update . Independent tracking • Automatic upload to Club Log • Download requests from Club Log (OQRS) Resolving LoTW Mismatches • LoTW database contains all stations known to participate in LoTW (tnx HB9BZA!) and the date at which each last submitted QSOs to LoTW • Identify all unconfirmed QSOs with stations known to participate in LoTW that have submitted QSOs to LoTW after the QSO date so you can contact your QSO partner and correct the mismatch Award Tracking • DXCC & Challenge • Worked All Belgian Provinces • CQ DX • Worked All British Areas • Worked All Canadian Provinces • CQ DX Marathon • Worked All French Departments • CQ Field • Worked All DARC DOKs • Gridsquares • Worked All Holyland Areas • IOTA • Worked All Hungarian Counties • Worked All Italian Provinces • TOPLIST • Worked All Japanese Cities • VUCC • Worked All Japanese Guns • Worked All Continents • Worked All Japanese Prefectures • Worked All CQ Zones • Worked All Korean Districts • Worked All Russian Oblasts • Worked All Europe • Worked All Russian Districts • Worked All ITU Zones • Worked All Summits on the Air (SOTA) • Worked All Prefixes • Worked All US States • Worked All US Counties • Worked All User-defined Counters Award Tracking • Progress Report Generation (All 30) • Submission Generation (DXCC, IOTA, Marathon, VUCC, WAS, WAZ, WPX) • Award Credit Update (DXCC, IOTA) DXLab Objectives 1. Automate “paperwork” to make more time for DXing 2. Make time spent DXing more productive . Find the DX you need . Work the DX you need DXing With DXLab • Introduction to the DXLab Suite . Drivers . Architecture . Multiple Views of Active DX • Finding the DX You Need • Working the DX You Need DXing With DXLab • Introduction to the DXLab Suite . Drivers . Architecture . Multiple Views of Active DX • Finding the DX You Need • Working the DX You Need Drivers 1. User-driven iterative development . Open Yahoo group with 5400+ participants . Defect repairs get highest priority; goal is < 24 hours . Public enhancement lists . Frequent releases (several per month) 2. Easy to Use and Powerful . Primarily for DXers . Secondarily for casual operators 3. Runs on Windows NT, 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8, and 10 . and Mac in a virtual machine . and Linux in a virtual machine DXing With DXLab • Introduction to the DXLab Suite . Drivers . Architecture . Multiple Views of Active DX • Finding the DX You Need • Working the DX You Need the DXLab Suite Eight free applications that run individually but when run simultaneously sense each other’s presence and interoperate automatically the DXLab Suite 3.792 CW, RTTY, PSK Transceiver Control Location Control Logging DX Spots Propagation QSL Routes the DXLab Suite 3.792 CW, RTTY, PSK WinWarbler Transceiver Control Location Control Commander DXView Logging DX Spots DXKeeper SpotCollector Propagation QSL Routes PropView Pathfinder the DXLab Suite 3.792 CW, RTTY, PSK WinWarbler Transceiver Control Location Control Commander DXView Logging DX Spots DXKeeper SpotCollector Propagation QSL Routes PropView Pathfinder • Modular • Loosely-coupled the DXLab Suite 3.792 CW, RTTY, PSK WinWarbler Transceiver Control Location Control Commander DXView Logging DX Spots DXKeeper SpotCollector Propagation QSL Routes PropView Pathfinder CW Skimmer CWGet FLDigi MultiPSKJT-Alert MixW MMSSTV MultiPSK Gritty MRP40 Sim_PSK WSJT-X N1MM+ MMVARI Win4K3 the DXLab Suite 3.792 CW, RTTY, PSK WinWarbler Transceiver Control Location Control DX Atlas Commander DXView Google Earth Logging DX Spots LogPublisher SpotSpy DXKeeper SpotCollector Propagation QSL Routes PropView Pathfinder CW Skimmer CWGet FLDigi MultiPSKJT-Alert MixW MMSSTV MultiPSK Gritty MRP40 Sim_PSK WSJT-X N1MM+ LogPublish Win4K3 A Suite of DXing Applications Single Point of Control: DXLab Launcher • Installation • Upgrade • Startup • Shutdown DXing With DXLab • Introduction to the DXLab Suite . Architecture . Drivers . Multiple Views of Active DX • Finding the DX You Need • Working the DX You Need Active DX Database Reverse Telnet Packet DX Beacon Clusters Clusters Summit Network Call Freq QSX Mode First Last EU AF SA NA-E NA-M NA-W OC P5DX 14.005 14.007 CW 0117Z 0341Z ASY Y Y KP1RY 21.080 21.085 RTTY 0245Z 0356Z Y Y Y Y Y Multiple Views of Active DX DX Spot Sources Active DX Database What DX stations are QRV ? Multiple Views of Active DX DX Spot Sources Log Database DXCC needs IOTA needs Active DX Database Leaderboard needs Marathon needs Logged VUCC needs QSOs WAS needs WPX needs WAZ needs What QSOs and QSLs are “Needed” for the awards I’m pursuing ? Multiple Views of Active DX DX Spot Sources Log Database DXCC needs IOTA needs Active DX Database Leaderboard needs Marathon needs Logged QSOs LotW VUCC needs Database WAS needs eQSL AG WPX needs Database WAZ needs What DX stations QSL via LotW and eQSL ? Tabular View of Active DX DX Spot Sources Log Database DXCC needs IOTA needs Active DX Database Leaderboard needs View Marathon needs Logged Generator QSOs LotW VUCC needs Database WAS needs eQSL AG WPX needs Database WAZ needs Tabular Display Tabular View of Active DX “Selected Bands and Modes” Font color indicates “needed” DX stations Background color indicates LotW and eQSL participation Band Filter Mode Filter Tabular View of Active DX “Selected Bands and Modes” On 80m through 10m, PropView’s VOACAP engine computes • Short path SNR and probability • Long path SNR and probability Tabular View of Active DX “Needed DX on Selected Bands and Modes” Tabular View of Active DX “Needed DX on Selected Bands and Modes spotted from NA-E” Tabular View of Active DX “Needed DX on Selected Bands & Modes with SP Prob > 50%” Tabular View of Active DX in a web browser from anywhere Tabular View of Active DX in a web browser from anywhere Audio and Email Views of Active DX DX Spot Sources Log Database DXCC needs IOTA needs Active DX Database Leaderboard needs View Marathon needs Logged Generator QSOs LotW VUCC needs Database WAS needs eQSL AG WPX needs Database WAZ needs Audio & Email Audio and Email Views of Active DX Creation of a new Active DX Database Entry for a needed DX station can trigger . an audio announcement (callsign, “counter”, band, mode) . an outgoing email message (which can initiate a text message) World Map View of Active DX DX Spot Sources Log Database DXCC needs IOTA needs Active DX Database Leaderboard needs View Marathon needs Logged Generator QSOs LotW VUCC needs Database WAS needs eQSL AG WPX needs Database WAZ needs World Map View of Active DX “Active DX on Selected Bands” World Map View of Active DX Controlling the Map View World Map View of Active DX Controlling the Map View World Map View of Active DX “160m” World Map View of Active DX ScanDX World Map View of Active DX ScanDX World Map View of Active DX “6m” on DX Atlas World Map View of Active DX “6m” on Google Earth World Map View of Active DX “12m” on Google Earth Bandspread View of Active DX DX Spot Sources Log Database DXCC needs IOTA needs Active DX Database Leaderboard needs View Marathon needs Logged Generator QSOs LotW VUCC needs Database WAS needs eQSL AG WPX needs Database WAZ needs Bandspread Bandspread View of Active DX Bandspread View of Active DX Propagation View of Active DX DX Spot Sources Log Database DXCC needs IOTA needs Active DX Database Leaderboard needs View Marathon needs Logged Generator QSOs LotW VUCC needs Database WAS needs eQSL AG WPX needs Database WAZ needs Propagation Propagation View of Active DX Multiple Views of Active DX DX Spot Sources Log Database DXCC needs IOTA needs Active DX Database Leaderboard needs View Marathon needs Logged Generator QSOs LotW VUCC needs Database WAS needs eQSL AG WPX needs Database WAZ needs Tabular Display Audio & Email World Map Bandspread Propagation DXing With DXLab • Introduction to the DXLab Suite .